James Ramsay MacDonald FRS (1866 - 1937)

Born 12 Oct 1866 in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Ethel (Gladstone) MacDonald — married 1896 in Kensington, London, England

Died 9 Nov 1937 at age 71 in Atlantic Ocean

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Biography

Ramsay MacDonald FRS is Notable.

MacDonald was born at Gregory Place, Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland, the illegitimate son of John MacDonald, a farm labourer, and Anne Ramsay, a housemaid. His parents did not marry and his baptism records show him as James Mc Donald (sic) Ramsay. His father is not named whilst his mother is named as Anne Ramsay.

John Ramsey MacDonald married Margaret Ethel Gladstone in Kensington, London in 1896.

In 1901, James Ramsay MacDonald (age 34, a journalist and author) was living with his wife, Margaret Ethel (age 30, born Kensington, London) and a son, Hister (Alister) Gladstone MacDonald (age 2, born St. Giles, London) at 3-4 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the parish of St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury, in the Municipal Borough of Holborn, London.

In 1911, James Ramsay MacDonald (44, a secretary and writer in the political and publishing field) and his wife, Margaret Ethel (40) had five surviving children of six born during their fourteen year marriage, Alister Gladstone (12), Malcolm John (8), Isabel Allan (7), Joan Margaret (2) and Sheila Ramsay MacDonald (3 months) living with them at 3-4 Lincolns Inn Fields, London.

In 1911 their eldest son, the first of six children, died of Diphtheria. Eight days later Ramsay's wife died, leaving him a single father of five young children. The youngest Sheila was less than a year old at the time.

James Ramsay MacDonald, FRS (12 October 1866 – 9 November 1937) was a British statesman who was the first Labour Party Prime Minister, leading a Labour Government in 1924, a Labour Government from 1929 to 1931, and a National Government from 1931 to 1935.

First Labour Prime Minister of Britain. Prime Minister between 5 June 1929 – 7 June 1935 and then again between 22 January 1924 – 4 November 1924.

He died whilst on board the liner MV Reina del Pacifico at sea on 9 November 1937, aged 71 when with his youngest daughter Sheila.

His funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on the 26 Nov 1937 and after cremation at Golders Green Crematorium, his ashes were buried alongside his wife Margaret at Spynie in his native Morayshire, Scotland.

• Space Page: List of Prime Minister of England and United Kingdom. (https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Space:List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_England_and_United_Kingdom.&public=1)

Sources

• Wikipedia entry for Ramsay MacDonald

• https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ramsay-macdonald/index.html

• Marriage Certificate has the names John Ramsey MacDonald marrying Margaret Ethel Gladstone. Kensington, London 1896 Quarter 4 Vol 1a Page 207

• Baptism records 1866 Drainie, Moray, Scotland.

• "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X98J-WFJ : 8 April 2016), James Ramsey Macdonald, St Giles In The Fields And St George Bloomsbury, London, Middlesex, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Bloomsbury And St Giles South subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• England and Wales Census, 1911, image, Findmypast, citing Census ref. RG14PN1181 RG78PN39 RD12 SD1 ED12 SN79, RG78, Archive reference RG14, Registration district St Giles, code number 39, Piece number 1181. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbc%2f1911%2frg14%2f01181%2f0171%2f1

Westminster

City of Westminster

Greater London, England

Plot: Cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

GPS (lat/lon): 51.50008, -0.12923

• Cenotaph [?]

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 03 February 2019), memorial page for James Ramsay MacDonald (12 Oct 1866–9 Nov 1937), Find A Grave Memorial no. 6348 (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6348), citing Westminster Abbey, Westminster, City of Westminster, Greater London, England ; Record added: Sep 15, 1999, Maintained by Find A Grave .

• See also: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11439